TULSA FUEL AND MANUFACTURING SUPERFUND SITE

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City: Collinsville
County: Tulsa
Site Type: Smelter
Area: 0.1 square miles / 60 acres
Township and Range: NE ¼, SE ¼, NE ¼, Section 31, and SW ¼, NW ¼, Section 32, Township 22 North, Range 14 East
Latitude: 36.34866667
Longitude: -95.84301917
National Priorities List: Final Listing Date - January 1999
Cleanup Oversight Agencies: EPA and DEQ
Lead Agency: DEQ
Office: DEQ, Land Protection Division, (405)702-5100
DEQ Site Project Manager: Sara Downard, (405) 702-5126
DEQ Press Contact: Skylar McElhaney, (405)702-7167
Current Status: Cleanup Pending

Land Use Restrictions: A perimeter fence was completed in 2009 to limit public access to contaminants and minimize risks at the site. Following cleanup of the site, Institutional Controls in the form of a deed notice will be placed on the site by the DEQ. The deed notice will include restrictions on digging in capped areas and will list appropriate land uses.

Regulatory Profile:
• Sources of Contamination: Nine furnaces, broken retorts, condensers, slag, building debris, ash, bricks, and other smelter waste
• Contaminants of Concern: arsenic, cadmium, lead and zinc (heavy metals)
• Media Affected: 200,000 cubic yards of waste material
• Surface Water Impacted: Mid-Site Ravine, ponds and strip mine pit

Site History and Background: The Tulsa Fuel and Manufacturing (TFM) site is an abandoned 60-acre former zinc smelter, located in Tulsa County, Oklahoma. The former zinc smelter was active from 1914 through 1925 and helped to meet the demands for zinc during World War I. The Tulsa Fuel and Manufacturing site is located outside the city limits of Collinsville on the west side of “old” Highway 169, approximately 1.3 miles south of downtown. The smelting operation used nine furnaces, which were believed to be fueled by nearby natural gas wells. Other primary structures of the smelter included a mechanical kiln, a condenser and a laboratory. A two million gallon capacity reservoir was also used with the condenser room during smelting operations. While active, large amounts of ore were stored on site.

Cleanup History: A 2007 investigation and evaluation of the Tulsa Fuel and Manufacturing Site allowed the DEQ to identify the following contaminants of potential concern: arsenic, cadmium, lead, and zinc. Remedies for the site were established using the results from the investigation and evaluation. The remedies addresses current and future residential risks associated with exposure to soil, sediment, surface water, and solid waste. About 200,000 cubic yards of waste material will be consolidated and capped. The remedies include the intent to restore and reuse the site for beneficial purposes. They have also been determined to be cost-effective, permanent and protective of human health and the environment.

Cleanup Status: Remedial Design has begun and completion is targeted for the end of 2013.

Did You Know? This horizontal retort smelter required a lot of energy and ran primarily on natural gas. In fact, most smelters in Oklahoma were situated close to natural gas reserves for this reason.

Completed Activities: A complete list of site documents can be found at:  http://www.deq.state.ok.us/lpdnew/SF/TulsaFuels.htm